CE CURTAIN 
JLEANING 




A SUCCESSFUL 

HOME BUSINESS 
BY 

Mrs. Albert Leigh 



COPYRIGHTED 1913 



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LACE CURTAIN 
CLEANING 



A SUCCESSFUL 

HOME BUSINESS 
BY - 



Mrs. Albert Leigh 



COPYRIGHTED 1913 



How I Started A Successful 
Home Business 



In the following pages will be found 
valuable instructions to all who have ap- 
plied for them. They are for your own 
use, and should not be given or loaned 
to others, if you wish to succeed yourself. 

My advice to all is to begin this little 
book at the beginning, and read it care- 
fully to the end, then begin work in earn- 
est — experience is the best teacher, and 
1 wish to show you, from my own exper- 
ience how I succeeded in building up a 
successful business right here in my own 
home, in spare time only. For the first 
year my profits were over $200.00. 

There is no royal road to success, nor 
do I know of any in which patience and 
perseverance are more requisite than in 
the Lace Gurtain Laundry Business, 
though the work is easy, pleasant and 
to all who master these instructions and 
apply them persistantly. should not fail 
to achieve the success that I have, and 
more. 

Illness in my family first inspired me 
with the ambition to help keep our home 
together, and I shall never regret the 
thought which prompted me to start the 
Lace Gurtain Laundry Business, which 
has proved such a success to me. 



There is no profession where the be- 
ginner can learn so quickly, none in which 
the financial returns are so liberal, so I, 
being inexperienced, took courage, pa- 
tience and perseverance for my motto, 
and the result is a nice home business 
built on the inspiration of a thought. 

Business enterprises that women can 
successfully engage in are very scarce, 
but as this business is so easily conduct- 
ed in the home, any woman with a fair 
amount of ambition, who wants to earn 
her own living, or who desires to assist 
with family expenses, in spare time, or 
who wishes to increase her spending 
allowance and does not wish to leave 
home in doing so; "this business offers 
the opportunity." Make your strike for 
independence now, by following my in- 
structions, you will never regret it; for 
in a few months' time you will own a 
business of your own — a business that 
will remain permanent for years to come 
and will become more profitable, the 
longer you operate it. 



my method; 

As this business requires little or no 
capital to start, I lost no time in making 
a beginning, having all the necessary ap- 
pliances, such as Tubs, Boiler, Wringer 
and Stretchers, in my own home use, 
adding two new pair of Stretchers with 
the first money earned at my business. 



and taking my parlor for my work shop, 
I was ready to begin. 

In the first place I mentioned my prop- 
osition to a few friends, who gave me 
every encouragement, and in a few days 
I received a few orders, which netted, 
me $10 clear for the first week. 

In the evenings, I wrote down fifty 
names and addresses of the best resi- 
dents of our city, having borrowed an 
old phone book from my next door neigh- 
bor for this purpose, then I wrote each 
a polite note stating my business, and 
soliciting their patronage, promising to. 
give special care and attention in Laun- 
drying without tearing, also guaranteeing 
points and Gurtains even. 

This brought me many orders, as also- 
did a polite note to the President of our 
Givic Betterment Glub, who very kindly 
read my note to the members at one of 
their meetings. The following week I 
sent a note to the President of the Aux- 
iliary of the Y. M. G. A., with like results. 

At this time, fall cleaning being about 
over, I set to work to form a plan for 
spring work, which I knew would be 
heavy, as my business increased right 
along as it become known, so I visited 
all the Hotels, Apartment Houses. Glubs 
and Dr. Offices soliciting their patronage 
also, and the result is; I had more work 
than I could do; now Ihave to systemize' 
my work by taking in only what I know 
I can do in a week without over-lating 
myself, as I employ no help whatever.. 



THE SECRET OF MY SUCCESS 

When the curtains first come in I look 
them over, if torn or worn, my aim is to 
not make them any worse; I measure 
each pair of curtains, length and width, 
marking it down in a book, for the pur- 
pose, with the owner's name, how many 
pair and the price charged, this keeps 
me posted for future reference. 

Most people put their Lace Curtains 
in cold water over night to extract the 
dirt; I find this takes out a little of the 
smoked lint, not the dirt, to me it seems 
to fasten it in, it certainly takes more 
time and labor to get it out. besides being 
harder on the hands and the curtains 
also. Try this way: take your largest 
tub, fill to the top with luke warm water 
take one large cup of my excellent soap 
solution and mix in the water thoroughly, 
now fold each curtain to about a foot 
square, put into this tub of water until 
the tub is full, leave for half hour, press- 
ing them down occasionally, you will 
see the dirt fairly drop out, at the end 
of half hour take one or two out at one 
time into fairly hot water unfolding 
them a little while washing them, 
you will find this process not only pro- 
tects the curtains but is easier to laun- 
dry, put them through your wringer 
gently, never wring them with the hands 
as this tears them. 

If the curtains are pure white I boil 
them a little, if Ecru I merely scald them 
sometimes they don't even require scald- 






ing, but must be wrinced thoroughly; 
sometimes when the curtains are very 
frail I don't put them through the wring- 
er, I squeeze them with my hands in a 
ball, after they are all clean. I dry out 
of doors if possible, then if it is wet the 
next day I can starch and put them on 
the stretchers indoors, in a vacant room 
kept for the purpose, and with a stove 
in it for cold weather, it dries quickly 
I find by drying all my curtains "first I 
can make the starch the right consist- 
ancy, that is, most people want them 
just stiff enough to hang pretty, so I try 
to get them about the same weight as 
when new; if the curtain is of a heavy 
make less starch will be required, but if 
they are of a net or some other flimsy 
material it takes more starch — after 
doing a few pair it is easy to guess just 
what you require for all curtains. 

The first curtain put on the stretcher 
is always the most tedious, but after 
that it is easy. I never put on more 
than one pair of heavy; if of light material 
I get as many on as the pins will take, 
providing, of course, the curtains are all 
of one length; and I always try to make 
the stretcher fit the curtain, not the cur- 
tain fit the stretcher. 

To begin with you will need 3 pair of 
stretchers, two of the adjustable pin and 
one of the stationary pin kind, the first 
named are for the scallop edge curtains 
as they can be placed at correct dist- 
ances apart — this is important- -the 



stationary pin stretchers are for the 
straight edge curtain, these must be 
stretched from the four corners, working 
them on perfectly even and straight, 
never try to put a scallop curtain on 
these stretchers, as the pins are never 
the same distance apart. 

When I first commenced my Laundry 
Business, I found great difficulty, and 
wasted much time in trying to find the 
right figures on the stretchers, so I in- 
vented a scheme which has saved me 
hours of time, and a great deal of pa- 
tience: I simply went over the figures 
with pen and ink, now I can see them 
at a glance. 

I often have curtains come in which 
require some mending; if I have time I 
do this at night, before starching of 
course; I charge extra for this and ac- 
cording to amount of work required, the 
ladies are more than willing to pay for 
this, and it adds to your work too; makes 
it look so much better. 

When taking the curtains off the 
stretchers, unscrew each corner a little 
and raise the lower bar, this will bring 
the curtain off easier and without tearing 
Sometimes the edges and joints require 
pressing, I do this as I take them off the 
stretcher, or at night, if I am short of 
time. I charge 10c a curtain extra for 
this, when ready to send home I fold 
them as little as possible, the fewer the 
creases the better they look. After 
wrapping them nicely, I write a note to 



each, in which I ask, should the work 
just returned meet with approval, to 
kindly hand my enclosed card to one of 
their friends, this invariably brings me 
a new customer. The card enclosed is 
simply a plain neat card with name and 
address only, this with my note I enclose 
in an envelope addressed to my custo- 
mer and fastened to the parcel. 

Most of my work is brought to me and 
called for, this saves me a great deal of 
time and trouble, but the ladies are more 
than willing to do this, if their curtains 
are done satisfactory. 

Since commencing the laundrying of 
curtains I have been asked to laundry 
many other articles, such as shirtwaists, 
fancy lace dresses, jabots, dinner mats, 
doilies, scarfs, laces of all kinds, bed 
spreads and even blankets, but working 
only in my spare time I have confined 
myself to curtains and door panels only 
yet it goes to show that the woman with 
more time at her disposal could do all 
this kind of work, including the mending 
and make a splendid living, more espec- 
ially when there are three and four in 
the family. 

In conclusion I must say I find that 
politeness, cleanliness and neatness of 
person in approaching the people adds a 
great part in the secret of success in all 
trades. 

Enclosed with these instructions will 
be found my price list for all curtain work 



and from which I never vary. For any 
other information a two cent stamp en- 
closed will bring it to you by return mail. 

For success, 

I am very sincerely yours, 

Mrs. Albert Leigh, 

30 Bullett Ave., S. E. 
Roanoke, Va. 



POINTERS FROM INSTRUCTIONS 
AT A GLANCE 

1. Before weting curtains measure length 
and width. 

2. Don't put curtains to soak in cold water 
over night, one half hour in the morning in luke 
warm water will be better. 

3. Don't be afraid to use the soap solution, 
it won't injure the curtains or the hands. 

4. Don't wring the curtains with your hands 
simply squeeze them or put them gently through 
the wringer. 

5. After washing them clean dry thoroughly 
all your curtains, you will then know just what 
consistancy to make your starch; make them 
as near their weight as when new, they hang 
better. 

6. Prepare your starch the night before, this 
will save lots of time, and you won't have to 
wait till it cools. 

7. Make a straining bag of one yard of crash 
towling and strain all your starch before useing 
as sometimes it lumps and sticks to the curtains 

8. If any mending is required do it before 
starching them and when clean. 



9. Don't forget to charge extra for this, ac- 
cording to amount of mending required. 

10. Get the adjustable-pin stretcher for 
scallop curtains, and stationary stretcher for 
straight edge curtains. 

11. Go over the figures and lines on your 
stretchers with pen and ink, you will then see 
them at a glance. 

12. For narrow curtains and short lengths, 
bore holes in your stretchers to meet the require- 
ments. 

13. When the curtains are ready to fold, 
don't fold them too much, the fewer the creases 
the better they look. 

14. Don't forget to enclose with each parcel 
your card, asking to kindly hand it to a friend. 

15. Always give a receipt in return for pay- 
ment, this protects you and your customer too. 

16. Don't be afraid to approach the people, 
they are only too glad to know of you and that 
their curtains be cared for. 

\7. Go to the best houses, to the hotels, ap- 
partment houses, clubs, doctors' offices and 
anywhere where curtains are used in public 
buildings. 

18. Your clean and neat appearance will 
count for everything in this business. 

19. Make your prices the same to one and 
all, with no favors, and terms strictly cash. 

20. Be polite to all, even. if you are annoyed 
sometimes, it will pay in the end. ' 



MY EXCELLENT SOAP SOLUTION 

Three pounds Fels-Naptha Soap, One Fourth 
of a pound Mule Team Borax, One pound of 
Sal Soda, One cup Turpentine, Six quarts of 
rain water — Into the six quarts of water add the 



soap cut into small pieces, boil till thoroughly 
desolved, then add the Borax and Sal Soda, let 
this desolve also before adding the Turpentine, 
then boil for 10 minutes, altogether, keep in 
gallon jars. 



MY PRICE LIST 

Battenburg Curtains - - 75c to $1.00 

Frilled Muslin, ironed all over - 75c to $1.00 

Heavy Aplique - . - 75c to $1.00 

Irish Point Net Curtains - 65c to 75c 

Oriental Curtains, pressing and cleaning 

65c to 75c 

Fish Net Curtains, long - - 65c 

Plain Nottingham Lace Curtains - 65c 

Panel Curtains of all kinds, each - 35c 

Short Muslin Sash Curtains, each - 25c 

Door Panels, cleaned and pressed, each 

25c to 35c 



*M 20 lbi3 1:2™ RY ° F C0NGRESS 



014 182 313 9 * 



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